>Splishing and Splashing

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We spent Saturday night in Branson at the Grand Country Inn with the Shockleys and their boys Garrett (5) and Boone (3) and the Theissen’s and their kids Cale (5) and Marah (5 months). The kids had a great time at the indoor water park and surprisingly enough I was NOT the fattest Mom in the park. Whew! There was a surprising array of “Mom’s” there. Some of which made excellent and cute choices in swimwear and others who made more unfortunate choices. All I know is that mine was covered up and other’s should have been. Just as a rule of thumb one should not put a triangle of yellow spandex over a bumpy rectangle of a bottom. Just file that away in your brain incase the opportunity should ever arise.

Grace had a blast and would probably have stayed in the water until her lips were blue and her skin resembled more of a shriveled fruitlike consistency. As it was we spent nearly three hours in the water. After everyone got cleaned up and had sufficiently wrestled the Daddy’s into submission on the hotel room bed, we headed to the Landing for dinner. Our first choice was Joe’s Crab Shack which it turns out is a LONG freakin way from the far end of the Bass Pro parking lot. It was a three hour wait for Joes and that was NOT going to happen… for any of us. We headed back to the Macaroni Grill and just as we were being seated the Shockley’s bowed out because Boone had had enough for one day. They got Wendy’s on the way back to the hotel and the rest of us trudged onward to dinner.

It was a fun evening even though I thought Bryon was in the bathroom half the time. Everytime I turned around I couldn’t find him. I guess he’d told me he was going to the bar at Macaroni Grill while we were waiting but I didn’t hear him and assumed he was in the bathroom. After about 20 minutes and we were already seated I dispatched Richard to track him down because I figured he must have slipped in urine and marinara sauce and was unconcious on the bathroom floor because who stays in a restaurant bathroom that long? Just as Richard was heading out on his 911 mission Bryon came bopping around the corner from the bar. Unscathed. Guess I should pay more attention next time.

We stopped at Tanger Mall on the way out and went over to the Children’s Place where we’ve found some out of season clothes in the past. All I can say is if Grace is smart she will always INSIST on taking Daddy shopping with her. I buy her the bargain out of season cheap stuff. Daddy buys her the in season stuff that’s on all the maniquins. He’s a push over! We spend $270 at the Children’s place. Now some of that was summer clothes and shoes and some next winter sweaters and shirts but still it was a lot. She got some new light up Sketchers too AND new Sketcher flip flops. The girl is styling. Daddy has good taste and a generous heart and wallet. She’ll learn to work that soon 🙂

Meanwhile we are anxiously awaiting our new puppy. Bryon decided to tell Grace so she could anticipate it. She is. Me too. On the one hand I’m all “Wow, I can’t wait to get a new puppy” on the other hand I’m “Holy Crap we are getting a new puppy”.

Grace and I got the outdoor kennel all cleaned out yesterday and Bryon has to put a new telephone pole on one side of it and rewrap wire around the bottom of the door and I think it will be 100% puppy proof. I got all the pig poop cleaned out of the pet porter and the step out in our garage cleaned off for it for the first few weeks of nights at least while we work on potty training him. Now if I can just find the screws to the dang thing! I remember a ziplock at some point but I have no idea where it is. I may have to hold it together with clothes pins and duct tape.

Things are getting exciting and I’m pretty sure there will be a plethora of stories to blog in our immediate future.